


We're Heroes, Right?

by TheatricalAssassin



Category: Max Steel (TV 2013)
Genre: Angst, Child Soldiers, Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hero Complex, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mental Link, Queerplatonic Relationships, Technically Max isn't old enough to enlist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-05
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-07-21 16:29:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7394995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheatricalAssassin/pseuds/TheatricalAssassin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's hard being a hero, and it's even harder when you're woefully unprepared for anything that comes after the fight. Training doesn't end at weapons and fighting, training also includes mental preparation to see what happens when the building falls or when you aren't fast enough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We're Heroes, Right?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CaptainMabe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainMabe/gifts).



To say that it had been a long day, would be an understatement. First there was an attack from Toxzon before it was even time for Max to get up for school, then there was school of which they had to leave early (read: skip class) to go deal with an armed robbery, and  _ then _ after that Forge thought it was a good day for some more “training.” To say that the duo were tired, was an understatement. Max almost wished that he could take off his hoodie to feel the satisfaction of it not being there anymore and hearing it hit the floor, or at least be able to throw it at the wall. 

“Max, what’s up man?” Steel asked flying into view 

“It’s nothing bro, it’s just, it’s just been a long day.” Max said tiredly running his hands through his hair

“Max, you can’t lie to me. You know I know when something’s up” Steel said crossing his arms

With a deep sigh Max laid down in bed, Steel apparently agreeing that it was in-fact bedtime as they were now dressed in a tank top and his pj pants. Max could feel Steel’s concern, and there wasn’t really anything he could do to stop feeling it, he was too tired. Hovering above his face Steel looked at Max expectantly, they both knew that the other knows how they feel, and right now Max could tell the concern was now being tinged with irritation. 

“It’s just... we’re heroes right?” Max asked

“Of course!” Steel confirmed smiling in his own way “Why do you ask?”

“I can’t stop thinking about them” Max closed his eyes, his thoughts going back to a apartment fire that Fire Elementor caused not too long ago

“About who?” Steel could almost guess what, but he couldn’t just assume

“Those people, Steel we were  _ right there _ , why didn’t we do anything?” Max shot up “We could have saved them!”

It was about them, Steel didn’t need to see Max to know that he was torn up. Neither knew of Molly was home yet, they got home before she did again and as such they didn’t know if she was shortly after them or if she was staying late at THI again. Tears were already welling up and Max’s breathing was already becoming uneven. The two reached out for each other unconsciously, neither physically nor verbally, the link that connected them ran deeper than either truly knew. Max could still hear the screams ringing clearly in his mind as they fought Fire Elementor, so could Steel. The boy realizing he couldn’t stop the tears, not tonight, grabbed his pillow and buried his face into it. Steel gently rested his arm on Max’s shoulder, there wasn’t anything he could say, there wasn’t anything  _ to  _ say, he was right. They  _ were _ right there, the people who were still there were right within their grasp, but instead they focused their attention on the fight. If he were able, Steel would have joined Max in his crying, instead he felt it second-hand. Each breath Max took and each time he had to bring his head up just long enough to wipe the tears from his face and then return it to the pillow he felt every bit of it. 

“Max...” Steel started “We can’t, we can’t save everyone.”

“I know... logically, we can’t. We can’t get everyone” Max said trying to even out his breathing well enough to speak “But, there’s so many, so many that died because of us!” He hiccupped “For every one we save it feels like two more die.”

They were both right, there wasn’t a way to save everyone every time. There was always the ones who’ll get left behind, because they’re deeper into the disaster, buried father, or were at ground zero. The first time they had someone die on them, to their knowledge, not after the fact, the two were almost ready to give up right there. A building had collapsed and many were trapped under it, they helped the Firefighters and EMTs clear the rubble. With TURBO Strength they were able to get a head start and save many lives, and then it got hard. Steel would scan ahead, as the rubble became more and more unstable, and moving the wrong thing might kill someone. When Steel gave Max the all clear he would pick up a slab of concrete and allow EMTs to remove the injured. They don’t know how many dead EMS had already pulled away, but when they found their first it was horrified. The others they were bloody but, this was something else and the noise the man made when they tried to breathe now that the weight had been lifted from them. It couldn’t wait for someone that wasn’t already carrying another out. Max picked up them and ran out to the nearest paramedic to hand them off to get medical attention, by the time they’d laid the man down, they’d stopped breathing and was gone. 

“Max, do you know why we do this?” Steel asked

“Did we really have a choice? I mean, we just kinda, were thrown into this and never stopped” Max responded, mostly stopped sobbing by now

“I mean we  _ can  _ still stop whenever we want. I can make sure that no one ever is able to read your energy signature, Berto could probably whip up something for you to use at school and I’m sure  _ someone  _ could forge a doctor's note saying that you need it” Steel said “But we don’t, why do you think that?”

“I swear to god if you’re gonna pull a Uncle Ben on me”

“Come on, you know I wasn’t” Steel laughed

“Ohh but you were thinking it” Max said, cracking a smile “But you’re right, we can’t stop. Not now”

Steel flew up to Max’s face and gave him a hug and Max returned the gesture, no one else really knew what was going on. Not Sydney or Kirby, not even Forge or Molly. They didn’t know, and in this world it seemed like they only had each other. 

“I don’t know what I’d do without you buddy” Max said flopping onto his bed still holding Steel against him

“Doovv drovvy” came Steel’s muffled voice

“What was that?” Max laughed

<I said “Die, probably”> the UltraLink repeated over the link

<You’re a goof you know that?> Max responded in kind

<Says the kid who plays as himself in a dancing game> Steel said wiggling out of Max’s grip

<Oh don’t lie you’d do the same thing if they made you, and you had legs>

<Ok you and me, Clone mode and we’ll go VS> Steel challenged

<You’re on>

With that the two snuggled into bed, Max putting his pillow back at the end and flipping it over so he didn’t have to touch where he cried, once he got comfortable Steel came to rest right next to him, they could both sense it from each other. Not peace, but a feeling of contentness. It was enough to get them both through the night. Steel briefly thought of mentioning this to Forge or Molly, but decided against it. If they couldn’t be forthcoming in any of the matters that affected the duo, there wasn’t enough trust to let them know how much they were falling apart. Max put his hand on Steel and shoved him into the pillow, which earned a surprised squeak from the bot.

<Go to sleep nerd> Max said tiredly <We gotta get up in the morning>

<Who you callin nerd nerd>

With that, they fell asleep. It wasn’t particularly deep or restful, but it was enough. There were no nightmares or bad dreams about the ones who were left behind, there was only Max and Steel. Two underprepared warriors who’ll take on anything and everything and win through sheer determination, so they keep telling themselves no matter what comes, they’ve always got each other’s backs.

**Author's Note:**

> Using the instead of quotation marks to show speech over the link between Max and Steel was taken largely from Animorphs, who used that to differentiate when someone actually verbally speaking and when someone was doing Tought-Speech.


End file.
